


Interlude -- Slice of Life

by Munnin, yakalskovich



Series: Necessary Pebbles verse [11]
Category: Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-08
Updated: 2017-03-08
Packaged: 2018-10-01 01:16:31
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,350
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10177268
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Munnin/pseuds/Munnin, https://archiveofourown.org/users/yakalskovich/pseuds/yakalskovich
Summary: Bodhi and Galen spend a night in, just enjoying each other's company.





	

Bodhi sent Galen a message late in the afternoon.

** I'm cooking. Come by when you're done for the day **

Both of them had been getting on with their own work during the day. Bodhi had been helping with the recovery. By now, the landing pad was repaired enough for small bug haulers to start coming in, tiny droid flyers sufficient to shuttle food and equipment down from the large carriers in orbit. They brought news too. A new pad was being shipped in soon and the carriers would be able to ship the stricken crews out. 

Probably a good thing too. Things were starting to get tense down in the barracks. Bodhi was very grateful for the room Galen had allowed him, to keep him away from trouble. 

One of the bug flyers brought a load of fresh vegetables which Bodhi had managed to get into and was having a great time cooking with. Galen walked into his quarters shortly after he got the message, no longer than it takes to chop three bestinnian tang-roots, and dropped some data pads unceremoniously on the table. "Yes," he said, sighing deeply and stretching in his constricting uniform, "you're definitely cooking. Did those arrive today?"

"Hmm." Bodhi nodded, putting the knife down. He waited till the door closed behind Galen before moving over to pull him into a hug. "The hauler in orbit brought in a lot of fresh food. Apparently there have been concerns people down here might be suffering from deprivation from living on emergency rations. I don't think they've noticed that your scientists aren't overly interested in fresh food."

"My scientists are mostly old men, set in their ways," Galen said. "Used to eating whatever they are given while they are carrying on their arguments over it. They couldn't distinguish one vegetable from the other if they were performing a little interpretative dance in front of them." He held Bodhi close, looking into his eyes for a long moment before leaning in to kiss him.

Bodhi smiled and returned the kiss gladly and deeply. "The question is, would you? If I hadn't juggled them in front of you."

"Those which I used to grow, the ones I used to chop properly while cooking with Lyra, the ones I saw her teaching the names of to Jyn?" Galen said. "I would. But not many of the others." By now, talking about his lost family had become almost natural. They used to be his life, and they were taken from him. Now, there was Bodhi.

"Ah, of course." Bodhi ran his hands down Galen's chest. "I forget there's a farmer under this stupidly tailored uniform."

"Stupid indeed," Galen said. "I never get why they had to put the code cylinders just there." He brought up a hand to touch Bodhi's. He's was going to get rid of this uniform for good. Just a little more patience.

The pilot's off-duty uniform was a soft linen-like shirt and pants, and as Bodhi’s back had healed, he was able to wear it, rather than the silky synthetic fabric the medic had offered him. Bodhi purred softly and stole a long, long kiss, his fingers sliding under the opening of Galen's tunic.

Galen could now stroke Bodhi's back again without worrying about hurting him, and he did so while returning the kiss. Bodhi popped open the closures of the tunic and peeled the bib open, stroking down Galen's chest. "I should be cooking."

"Is there anything that could burn?" Galen asked, practical as always. This was a kind of welcome possibly even better than Bodhi's food, which is saying something.

"One moment." He let go just long enough to turn the hot-plate off before coming back over to kiss the slope of Galen's neck.

Galen sighed with pleasure, and tilted back his head. "I can help -- later," he promised. Bodhi shook his head and ran a hand through Galen's hair. "Later." It's a promise. "The tunic has to go."

"Yes," Galen said, closing his eyes. "Off with it." He tried to reach up to help, but fumbled.

Bodhi made a soft, hushing sound and stepped back from Galen half a step. He pressed both hands flat on Galen's stomach and slid them up and out slowly, covering Galen's chest before moving into and over his shoulders. Very smoothly, he pushed the tunic up and off Galen's shoulders.

Galen's chest relaxed and expanded under Bodhi's touch. He only realised then how tense he had been, running around and organising things, already apprehensive about the inevitable moment when they would have to part, and things would get moving.

Bodhi sighed softly. "You make me wish I knew something about massage. You look like you need it."

"Your touch is more than enough," Galen said, smiling. "Like there. Yes!"

Bodhi rubbed his hands warmly and strongly over Galen's chest and shoulders. "Like this?"

"Yes, that, there," Galen said, relaxing even more under Bodhi's hands. He leans in for another kiss. Bodhi leant into the kiss, moving his hands slowly and firmly over Galen's body.

"Oh yes, Bodhi," Galen murmured, giving himself over to the touch. They could get Bodhi naked in a moment -- now, this touch is all that counts.

"Hedonist," Bodhi teased, his thumb tracing circles in the hollows of Galen's collarbones.

"Oh yes," Galen moaned, "always, when you do that!" He tilted his head back, invitingly. Bodhi stroked gently up Galen's throat and down the back of his neck and down his shoulders. "Bodhi..." Galen sighed, reaching out for him, almost blindly.

"I'm here." Bodhi smiled, stepping into Galen's touch. "Why don't you lie down on the bed? Let me relax you some more." Galen smiled,, but he didn't step back yet, pulling Bodhi closer instead, stroking his back and pulling at his shirt.

Bodhi laughed and untucked the shirts, letting Galen stroke his skin. The burns still had a strange feeling to them, sensitive at the edges and dulled towards the middle where the scarring was deepest. Galen ran his hands over the scars, familiar and tender. He knew them, had taken care of them, seen them heal. Because they were there, he was still here, too.

Bodhi sighed warmly, unable to hide his reaction to Galen's touch. Normally he might felt self-conscious about his skin, but Galen had a way of making him feel comfortable in it.

Galen bent his head and kissed Bodhi's shoulder, then pushed his shirt off entirely. Bodhi closed his eyes, letting Galen undress him gladly. _If this is the will of the Force, make it last,_ he thought to himself, caressing down Galen's back to squeeze his ass through the tight dress pants.

Galen gasped, taken aback in the best possible way by this sudden possessive gesture. "Yours, Bodhi! I'm all yours!"

"My scientist. My farmer." Bodhi growled slowly, feeling possessiveness rush through him. "My Galen." He kissed Galen hard and deep. The Empire didn’t own them any more; in their minds and hearts they were already free.

"Yes," Galen moaned, slowly stumbling back towards the bed as his knees threaten to give out, "all of that, all yours!" Bodhi pushed Galen onto the bed and wasted no time getting him out of boots and dress pants. One knee on that bed, he kissed Galen deeply again, cupping and stroking him.

"Take possession of me," Galen said, "in whatever way you like best. All yours for the taking."

Bodhi growled something under his breath, rearing back to get rid of his own clothes at speed. It was very obvious what effect Galen's words had on him. On his hunger for Galen who lay on the bed and watched him, maroon eyes blown wide with desire, ready, impatient.

Bodhi reached for the lube, slicking himself slowly, making a show of how hard he was for Galen. His fingers still slick, he leaned in to kiss Galen hard, his fingers rubbing between Galen's thighs. He took his time, stroking Galen open slowly but firmly, watching Galen's face and taking in every detail. Galen's face went through a wide variety of delight, impatience, moments of blinding ecstasy as he was touched just there inside him, and the desire for more. And always love. Amazed love for his amazing Bodhi.

Bodhi kept teasing him till neither of them could take it any more. He pulled Galen's legs up to his shoulders and lined up, ploughing him deep with the first thrust. He was not usually like this - possessive or aggressive, but Galen brought out a side of himself he greatly enjoyed.

Galen had been reduced to whimpers by then-- and when Bodhi thrusted in, he shouted out Bodhi’s name, loud, in pleasure and encouragement, babbling with need. Bodhi leaned forward, almost bending Galen in half with each thrust as he cupped Galen's wrists in an almost pin. "You're mine. Not Krennic's, not the Empire's. Mine. Just as I'm yours."

"Yours!" Galen gasped. "You fill me, you push me, yes, like that, Bodhi..." His legs gripped Bodhi's torso, urging and demanding and kicking with need.

Bodhi didn’t hold back, taking Galen with all the force and vigour pounding in his blood. Whatever the Force wanted of them, it would have to wait until he and Galen had enjoyed each other to the full. He gripped Galen's shoulder, each thrust rocking the bed.

"Make it last," Galen whimpered, but it didn’t -- a few more of those strong thrusts, and he spilled fierce, hot splashes all over Bodhi's front. Bodhi wasn’t sure he could hold out but he did his best, fucking Galen through his own high and into Bodhi's. He came with a rough groan that sounded very much like Galen's name.

Galen just clung, and babbles in a language that wasn't standard, and finally fell back, like a droid that had lost its power all at once. Bodhi wasn’t in much better condition - as winded as a racing reek. He careful disengaged and leaned in to kiss Galen softly, rolling onto his side to take the pressure off Galen's legs and hips. "Stars, I love you." He panted, laying down next to him.

Galen roughly pulled him close and gives an incoherent murmur of assent. Bodhi went into his arms gladly, holding him close and burying his face in Galen's hair. "Love you. So much."

"Bodhi." Just that one word.

It was less the word and more the way Galen said it that made Bodhi feels so... special. Bodhi lay there, happy to gaze into those wonderfully strange eyes - perfect and warm. He could drown in Galen's eyes and die happy. Those eyes keep looking into Bodhi's, unfocused and happy and full of love.

After a good long while of just looking into his eyes and stroking Galen's hair, Bodhi smiled. "I have to start dinner or we won't eat till very, very late. Don't get up until you're ready." He pressed a soft kiss to Galen's lips.

"My Bodhi," Galen said, clinging for half a minute or so; then, he suddenly grinned at Bodhi and lets him go. "Fresher," he said, "and then food." Bodhi made the most of the cling. It was a nice feeling. "Fresher, then food."

***

Bodhi had the cook-top running and the tiny kitchen filled with the scent of spices before Galen got out of the fresher. He waved a stick of some stingy herb at Galen. "You are a terrible temptation. And a distraction." And his smile said he loved Galen for it. 

"I am hungry," Galen declared, wrapping his robe around himself and tying it up, as if to remove the temptation. "No flagellation right now, please." He eyed the herb.

Bodhi laughed and made swift work of chopping the herb and moved it into a small bowl. "Dinner might happen faster if you stir while I cut."

"Just show me which implement you want stirred inside what, and at what angle and speed," Galen said, still in high spirits from their love-making and the fresher. Why could life suddenly be so brilliant and wonderful?

"Cooking is more of an art than a science." Bodhi laughed and presented Galen with a spoon. "That pot, firmly enough to keep anything from sticking to the bottom but not so fast that it breaks up the vegetables." He couldn’t help but steal a kiss.

Galen smiled, and stirred very conscientiously and precisely. "Alas, I'm not an artist," he said, "unlike you."

"Hardly an artist." Bodhi shook his head, cautiously blanching a small bright purple vegetable that he was handling with some care. "Just a man who can't stomach imperial rations."

"Most just grumble," Galen said, stirring. "You do something about it."

"Ah, but I was raised by a pragmatist." He put on a high, slightly crabby voice. "Never complain, boy. If there's something you can do about the problem, do it. If not, complaining won't help you anyway."

"Sensible lady, your grandmother," Galen said, grinning. "And you actually listened and live by her teachings. She would be proud of you."

"I try. She was an extraordinary woman. Did you know she was minor royalty from one of the inner worlds? Gave it all up and worked as a mechanic during the Clone Wars. All to make her way back to Jedha to find the daughter who'd been taken from her." He shrugged. "I'd like to hope someone in my family was proud."

"Because your brothers are not?" Galen said, quietly.

"My brothers. My mother. Tellen and Firy were already adults when my grandmother came back for us. They wanted no part in her world. The girls and I... couldn't have been happier."

"They don't know you now," Galen pointed out.

Bodhi shrugged. "They don't see past the patches on my flight-suit." He sighed. "But I'm going to have to find a way past that if we're going to make them trust us."

Galen stirred the pot, briefly closed his eyes and said nothing. Then, "Family is precious, too precious to waste on politics. One should fall out only if someone turns to evil."

"In their eyes I did," Bodhi huffed; and then he caught the tone in Galen's voice. "Hey." Bodhi put his knife down and reached over to hold Galen's hands. "If it means we can find your daughter, I'll find a way to reconcile with my brothers."

Galen nodded quietly. "She will be amazing, and you'll like her," he said. "After all, she's Lyra's daughter as well." He followed that pronouncement with a ghostly little smile.

Bodhi rested his hands on Galen's hips, keeping him close. "If she has Lyra's strength and your compassion, she'll be a force of nature."

"She will be," Galen said, softly. "Oh, she will be." He leaned in for a brief, steadying kiss.

"Then we will meet her together, and get to know your tempest of a daughter." Bodhi promised, giving Galen a squeeze.

"We will," Galen said, leaning a little towards him.

Bodhi wrapped Galen in his arms, kissed his cheek. "If you're right about the Force, I'm here because you're meant to find her again. And you know I'll do everything I can." He leaned back to look Galen in the eye. "And to that end, I have news."

"Yes?" Galen said, smiling into Bodhi's eyes.

"I was right about the ship, it's been written off for scrap. A salvage team will pick it up at some point and haul it out to a yard for recycling. But I've been assigned a new one. It'll be waiting for me when my medical leave ends. We'll have a ship. It's a newer model and I'll have to get use to the kinks but we'll have a ship."

"To find my daughter," Galen said softly, "and to find new hope, a life together."

Bodhi nodded and kissed Galen softly before going back to preparing their meal. "It will take me time to learn the new ship, get a feel for it. I've requested the technical specs so I can start familiarising myself with it soon."

Galen picked up the spoon to stirred the pot again, hoping that nothing went wrong while he wasn’t. "How different is a new model of the same ship?" The pot hadn’t stuck, thankfully. 

"Sleeker, better handling than the old one. They're keeping me assigned to Eadu." Bodhi intentionally hadn't mention the risk of reassignment to Galen. Not until it became an issue they'd have to deal with. "The new ships should handle the weather conditions here better. And be quicker in and out of orbit."

"How efficient," Galen said. "Assigning good technology to those who can actually need it to do their work."

Not the Empire's usual style, his tone implied. Low-key grumbling. Personal escapes. That was what the Empire was used to, rather than the huge plan the two of them were hatching.

"Getting the kyber out of Jedha and into Eadu is the priority right now," Bodhi answered with bitterness of his own. "For once, that works in our favour."

"The world happens to fall in our favour," Galen said. "That's what it looks like when the Force is with us."

Bodhi frowned and added some herbs to the pot, the scent of them warm and spicy. "I hope you're right." He wasn’t sure he trusted it, but he trusted Galen. That had to be enough for now. "This is almost ready." He held out a spoonful for Galen to taste. Galen took the spoon between his lips and tasted the spices, the vegetables, the life and the care that went into this food. He had never been very religious while Lyra was alive. Now, he more and more saw what her point had been.

Bodhi shook his head as he watched Galen try the dish. "You look like you've just had a revelation. My cooking is good. It's not that good."

"It's good, and I did just have a revelation," Galen said. He looked into Bodhi's eyes, alive with the joy of it. Bodhi laughed and took everything off the heat to pull Galen into a hug. "Is it one you can share?"

"I don't have words," Galen said, smiling. "Food. Life. Beliefs. The way we are rooted and connected."

Bodhi shook his head and gently pushed Galen towards the stack of bowls and cutlery. "I thought not having the words to explain things was my job in this relationship?" It was meant jokingly but he found himself a little taken aback by how casually he thought of what they had as a relationship.

"We only need to find the right things to make our words fail us," Galen said. Relationship. Yes.

Bodhi stepped to him, pulling Galen into a kiss. "You do that to me, every time you look at me like that." Like he mattered. "Now food. Before it gets cold." He stepped away to dish up.

"We wouldn't do that to the food," Galen said. He sat the table and smiled hopefully.

Bodhi laughed and put a bowl in front of him, along with a couple of small bowls of sauces and condiments. "Go easily on the Callian chilli. It's powerful." He pointed to the very fine purple slices, dusting a few over his own bowl. "I usually only get it dried. Doesn't have the same punch when it's been dehydrated."

"I will be careful," Galen promised, gingerly adding a microscopic amount.

Bodhi was less careful but he knew how much he could take. "I'm tempted to dry what's left, so it'll last." Always looking to the future, looking for ways to avoid waste. Something from his frugal childhood was always present, always pushing him to make the most of every opportunity.

"We should," Galen said. "Who knows when you can get more fresh."

Not in the Empire.

Bodhi shook his head. "We don't have a firm plan yet but already we're laying in supplies. We're really doing this." It wasn't a question, more of a realisation or something he’d already known but hadn’t been ready to acknowledge. 

"We're doing this," Galen said. "Freedom, family, and a future together."

Bodhi reached across the table to squeeze Galen's hand. "I love you."

Galen closed his callused fingers around Bodhi's. "And I love you, so very much," he said. "That's at the root of all of this."

Bodhi nodded. Love between them but also love for Galen's daughter, and a chance of freedom for all of them. There was so much planning to do. "I'm going to have to master this new ship quickly." He had never asked what their timeline was. Galen was the one with the connection to the Force. He figured Galen would know when the time is right. It was up to Bodhi to be ready. 

"But as thoroughly as possible," Galen said. "That awkward space turtle might have to go where no awkward space turtle has gone before."

Bodhi nodded. "We don't know what we'll need it to manage yet. So the more I know about how it handles and what it can do, the better off we'll be. You'd think the way the Empire shipyards build these things, they'd all be the same but ships are like people. They have eccentricities."

"That's what I heard," Galen nodded. "It must still be hard for you to give up your old ship."

Bodhi shrugged, not quite looking Galen in the eye as he ate some more, fiddling with the seasoning. "Another one of my grandmother's adages - things are things, people are people. Things can weigh you down. People should lift you up."

"As you do me." Not said sappily, stated as dry fact.

Bodhi flushed warmly. Dry fact or not, it still made him feel sappy. "Literally, once I have a ship again." Covering much?

"Yes," Galen said. "I will fly with you, then."

"How long? Since you've been off-world?"

"Years," Galen said. "Not more than two or three times since..."

Bodhi got up to pull Galen into a hug. "I'm going to take you away. We're going to leave here. Together. I'm going to show you the planet-rise."

Galen was happy to cling for a moment. "And then, we will rise out of it."

Bodhi held him tight, stroking his hair. "We will rise." He drew back enough to kiss Galen softly. "Together." He looked Galen in the eye. "Eat. We're going to need all our strength in the days to come."

Galen smiled. He found he smiled more often since Bodhi had started getting better, more than he'd smiled in the last fourteen years. "It's for pleasure, too, not just for strength." He started eating.

Bodhi hummed an agreement, enjoying his curry, even if it was getting cold. "I should start working out. Just in case."

"Throw bigger rocks, kick bigger asses?" Galen said, between two bites.

"If needed." Bodhi nodded. "I'm not a fighter but that doesn't mean I won't. If needed."

"We never know what might be needed," Galen said. "I better start working out as well."

"We can work out together. If you like?" There was something very appealing about getting sweaty with Galen.

"We can," Galen said. "The chief medic will approve."

"I'll talk to her, see what she thinks is best."

"Anything that pulls at your scars is definitely bad," Galen agreed.

"And I have to learn how to work with them." Bodhi shrugged. "Those scars are part of me now."

"And part of what connects us," Galen said. "With their small counterpart on my body."

Bodhi reached out to touch Galen's hand. "I don't regret it. Ever. I'd do it again and more, if it came to that."

Galen turned his hand around to hold Bodhi's. "I know," he said softly. "For me. I feel -- humbled."

Bodhi held Galen's hand, just... looking into his eyes. "Because I love you. Because you matter."

"As you matter to me, so very much," Galen said. "So intensely much."

"I'm just a necessary pebble." Bodhi shrugged. "But when the time comes, I'll be your pilot."

"You are my pilot, even without a ship," Galen said.

Bodhi gave a small, slightly sad smile and nodded, leaning over to kiss Galen before starting to clean up. Galen got up to help him; he could do that, even if he is not much use for cooking.

Bodhi stopped what he was doing to pull Galen into a kiss. He was not good at this, at being in love. At being with someone. Sometimes he needed time to get things to make sense. He looked into Galen's eyes. "I love you. And I'm your pilot. Always yours."

"And I'm always yours," Galen said. "That's what love is about." He held Bodhi close. "I never thought I would have this again..."

"I never thought I'd have this at all," Bodhi answered, fragile and honest.

Galen held him close for another deep kiss. "Now you do," he said. "Neither of us has to be lonely again."

Bodhi shook his head and smiled. He still didn’t feel like he deserved it and part of him was waiting for the other shoe to drop. But he knew Galen meant it. "Thank you."

"We will probably be very alone, at times, in the coming months," Galen said, softly, "but not lonely. Because we know the other exists.”

"You're always here." Bodhi bought Galen's hand to his heart, his own hand resting over the burn on Galen's side.

"Just so," Galen said, softly, against Bodhi's lips.

"We should go for another climb soon. Get away." Talk things through. Make more solid plans.

"Oh yes, that helps with the working out, too," Galen said, all harmless.

If Krennic had bugs, he would see the personal dimension to this -- two lovers trying to escape. Not the big picture. Still enough to make Krennic angry, in exactly the right way to keep him from suspecting that his entire Death Star was at stake.

Bodhi nodded, kissing Galen softly. "Come share a shower with me when we’re done with the dishes? Then we can talk till we fall asleep."

"Oh yes." To judge from Galen's smile, that was an excellent idea.


End file.
